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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900753">Happier</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingdomOfLight1/pseuds/KingdomOfLight1'>KingdomOfLight1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coffee Shop, Emotional Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Post Break Up, Post Movie, Sad Lio, Short One Shot, Temperature Metaphors, This physcially hurt me to write ngl, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:36:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900753</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingdomOfLight1/pseuds/KingdomOfLight1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year.</p><p>Lio runs into Galo at a coffee shop.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Happier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was listening to Ed Sheeran's "Happier" and this idea came to me and would not let me go until I wrote it out so here it is.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>[</span>
  <em>
    <span>My Darling I am still in love with you.]</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>   Lio would have never considered himself a coffee drinker, the taste always too bitter on his tongue and the cream and sugar too sweet. But that was years ago, before the Promare returned to their dimension and he was left to pick up the pieces. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Now, he stood in line to order a tall espresso on his way back to the apartment he shared with Gueira and Meis. He was coming from a meeting with the Promepolis city planners to discuss the construction of a memorial park dedicated to the victims of the Parnassus. Although it had been 3 years ago, that day was forever etched in Lio’s memory. The screams of the Burnish and the Promare continued to haunt his dreams, and most likely would for the rest of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   There was another reason that day had been imprinted into his mind, and it was that very reason that he was currently staring wide-eyed and clutching his drink close to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   He looked just like he remembered him. His ridiculous blue mohawk stood out in the crowded coffee shop, though he traded his usual Burning Rescue uniform for a tight-fitting black T-shirt and a pair of jeans that did wonders for his figure. He was also wearing dark-rimmed glasses, a pair Lio had never seen before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio tried not to stare, but he never expected to see </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> here of all places.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   He must have been stuck in his head for a moment too long, because the next thing he knew Galo was making his way towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Hey Lio! It’s been awhile, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio felt his mouth go dry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A year. It’s been a year.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Why he knew that off the top of his head, he didn’t want to acknowledge. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio took a quick sip of his drink, wincing when it burned his tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Yes...it has.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Everything about this felt off. Lio had never thought he would be uncomfortable talking to Galo of all people, but a lot can change in a year. He never used to like coffee either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “How have you been?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo asks the question as if they had just seen each other yesterday, conversational and inviting. Lio didn’t think he could tell him the truth. He never could lie to Galo. Not when it mattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   He settled for a safe answer. “I’ve been fine. You?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo shrugged, scratching the shaved part of his head. “Aw, you know. Same old, same old. Reconstruction’s been slowing down, so the team is getting ready to be your average fire-fighting squad. Although I’m sure Lucia will find a way to keep some of her mechas in use.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   He chuckled, and Lio couldn’t hold back a small smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “How’s everything with the Burnish been? I hear they’re planning a memorial park.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio felt his cheeks flush knowing that Galo kept up to date with what he was working on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Yes. They’re hoping to create a monument with the names of those who turned to ash at the hands of Freeze Force and Kray Foresight. They’ve asked me to help oversee the construction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “That’s great, Lio.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo seemed genuinely happy for him, and for a foolish second Lio can’t imagine why. But Galo has always been supportive, to the point where Lio didn’t think he deserved it. After the fall of the Parnassus, Galo had told him that he’d stand by him, through fire and flame. And he made good on that promise, standing by Lio even when it caused him to burn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   He had never deserved someone like Galo. Someone who held and soothed him through PTSD-induced nightmares, who would make him breakfast in bed just because he could, and who never passed up a chance to make a joke, just so he could hear him laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Now, standing across from him in the middle of a coffee shop, Lio realized just how much he had missed Galo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   The conversation had come to a lull, both men unsure of how to go down the path they had once walked together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Galo I...about what happened…” Lio wrapped his hand tighter around his cup, using the heat to try and calm his racing heart. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo seemed a bit taken aback, but nodded. “It’s ok Lio, it’s in the past.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo’s voice was soft and comforting, and at that moment Lio wanted nothing more than to kiss him and feel Galo’s warmth fill up the space in his chest that once held the Promare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Before he could stop himself, Lio let words pass his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “I really missed you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo gave him a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “I missed you too, Lio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Do you…” Lio looked away, unable to look Galo in the eye. Too afraid of what he might see. “Do you think we could...try again?”</span>
</p><p>   <span>The sounds of the coffee shop faded into the background, so that he could only hear his heart beating in his throat and the silence that spread like an ocean between them.</span></p><p>
  <span>   “Oh, thanks babe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio jerked his head up at Galo’s voice, seeing that another man had come over to their spot and passed Galo a drink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Hi!” The man grinned, looking at Lio. “And you are…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio couldn’t answer, his voice locked up somewhere inside him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Galo tilted his head in concern at Lio’s odd behavior, not used to the smaller man being at a loss for words. He decided to introduce Lio instead, taking his silence as a sign of fatigue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “This is my friend Lio!” He grinned. “Lio, this is my boyfriend, Kai.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   No. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Lio felt his heart freeze in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Kai held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Lio.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Despite the hot coffee, Lio felt his hands begin to shake as the cold traveled from his chest down his arms. He numbly shook the man’s hand, his mind stuttering as he tried to keep his composure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Oh Lio!” Galo suddenly spoke up after taking a sip of his warm drink. “What were you saying earlier? I couldn’t hear you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio swiftly placed his coffee cup down on the counter, his hands shaking to the point he was afraid he’d drop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “It’s nothing,” Lio heard himself say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Everything felt like too much all at once. Galo was too warm, always too warm, and everything else felt so cold that for a moment he feared a part of the absolute freezing bullet remained somewhere lodged in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Maybe that was why his heart hurt so much.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “You’re very lucky to have a man like Galo,” Lio pushed out, looking anywhere but at Kai. He swallowed back the formation of tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “It was nice seeing you again, Galo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Before Galo could respond, Lio turned to quickly make his way out of the shop, ignoring the urge to look back and see what could have been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Only when he made it out of the shop and into the cool night air did he let a few tears fall. They felt like drops of ice on his face, and he absentmindedly remembered he had left his coffee back in the shop, along with the one thing that once gave him warmth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   Lio walked back to his apartment shivering.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I intentionally left the reason for their break-up vague, although I originally wrote that Lio would overwork himself to the point of continuously missing dates and overall having difficulty making time for Galo. This led to an unbalanced relationship that Galo eventually decided to call off since it wasn't working out at the time.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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